Rosenberger leads Tigers by example

Published 8:00 pm, Tuesday, April 12, 2005

With the Ridgefield girls lacrosse team graduating most of its scorers from the 2003 team, coach Bryan McCarthy shifted a few if his players around to facilitate the scoring needs.

One of the players he turned to was Lise Rosenberger, who played as a defensive midfielder her first two seasons. The move resulted in a record-setting season for Ridgefield.

Rosenberger set the school's single-season scoring record with 53 goals last year, surpassing the previous mark by about 20 goals.

"She's set or broken every major scoring record at our school," McCarthy said. "She's already scored more points than anyone in school history, and she's just going to be adding to it."

Rosenberger, in her second year starting last season, was named to the All-FCIAC first team as a junior. She also earned second-team all-state honors and led the Tigers to the Division II state semifinals, where they lost to eventual state champion Joel Barlow.

"It was great to break the record; it was really fun," Rosenberger said. "Our center (from the 2003 season) graduated, so I filled in that position. I think I was more excited to try it out because when I started playing in middle school, I started out as attack. And then in high school with a different coach, I was moved to defense. It was nice to go back to attack."

Even though Rosenberger started her high school career as a defensive player, McCarthy had little hesitation or doubt about moving her into a scoring role.

"First, she's fast," McCarthy said. "Second, she can shoot the ball incredibly hard for a young lady.

"Third, she is in very good shape. She is not a small girl, but I don't mean that in a bad way because she runs like a gazelle. She's strong and committed and very aggressive, and her stick skills are very good and she throws the ball very hard. She's just, overall, a very good player."

McCarthy said Rosenberger's leadership qualities come in more than just scoring form.

She coordinates much of her teammates' offseason activities, including getting the players involved with the Westchester Girls Summer League in Brewster, N.Y. Rosenberger, who plays on the

Connecticut Lacrosse Futures club team in the offseason, gathered about 35 of her teammates into two teams to play in the summer league.

"My captains are elected by the team and she's been elected two years in a row," McCarthy said. "I think the girls look up to her as a leader."

Being a leader, however, was not always Rosenberger's role, especially when she first started playing lacrosse in the seventh grade.

"A lot of my friends were playing, so I just kind of picked it up with them," Rosenberger said. "In middle school, it was definitely just to run around and be with my friends. But when I got to high school, it was a lot more serious."

And she got serious about playing quickly in high school. Rosenberger earned a spot on the varsity team as a freshman and she moved into the starting lineup a year later.

Her playing career also will continue after this year. Rosenberger will play at perennial Division-III powerhouse Middlebury College, winners of five NCAA titles in the past eight seasons, next year.

Rosenberger said Middlebury recruited her as a defensive midfielder, and she said she is fine returning to playing defense.

"If they recruited Lise as a defensive midfielder - I think she will fulfill that role admirable - I think they will not be taking advantage of the full parameter of her skills," McCarthy said. "On our team, her primary role is to be an offensive player. Although she's an exceptional defender, her primary role is to be an offensive player."

But before Rosenberger gets too consumed with thinking about next season, she still has several goals she wants achieved.

"I would definitely like to get first-team all state. That's definitely a good way to finish off my high school (career)," Rosenberger said. "And I guess All-SWC again. Just all the awards I've gotten, I would just like to stay consistent and get them again for my last year. I guess my biggest goal is just to win the state championship because I know our team is good enough to do it. That's what we're all working for."